Wagering on games of chance and sporting events is manifested in many forms. The most common type of casino wager pays “odds” on a winning wager. For example, for a single number wager in Roulette, winning wagers are paid at odds of 35 to 1. These odds are applicable regardless of the amount wagered (subject to a standard maximum house-betting limit). In these cases, the fixed odds do not encourage additional wagering, as the house advantage is constant regardless of wager.
Another type of wager is a pari-mutuel, common in lotteries and some forms of sports/horse wagering. Here, players' money is pooled, less a house commission, and players are tasked with selecting the winning event. The pool is divided among those that are successful. Here, the players need to select the winning events in order to participate in any payoffs.
With progressive jackpots, players vie to obtain the predetermined combination necessary. For example, on slot machines, the winning combination is known to all, and individual players vie to line up the proper symbols in order to win the jackpot. On table games (e.g., Jones et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041, the winning combination is also known, and individual players each vie to obtain the proper arrangement of cards in order to win the jackpot. In each of these cases, players utilize their own hands and/or spins, and individual hands/spins comprise the events.
Lofink, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,064 as well as Moody U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,873 disclose the possibility of wagering in a casino game on a community event. However, these patents do not teach, disclose or suggest a method of capitalizing on the fact that all players are simultaneously desirous of winning by wagering on the community event. Moreover, these patents fail to disclose a method including a way for a third party (neither casino nor player) to capitalize on the wagering during the game.
Baccarat, Mini Baccarat (or Mini Bacc) and Big Bacc have recently continued to grow in popularity. For the state of Nevada, the past three years have seen a rise in total tables from nearly 125 to about 175, an increase of some 40%. With both Mini and Big Bacc, the game is comprised of three main wagers—Player, Banker, and Tie. Each of these wagers is primary as it may be made by itself, with no requisite-accompanying wager. If desired, more than one wager may be made. No strategy is involved on the part of the player; the only decision to be made is which of these three wagers to make.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,064 pertains to a modification of Baccarat. This modification eliminates the conventional 5% commission charged by the gaming establishment. The '064 invention also allows side wagers to be added to the game. The '064 teaching also provides a variation to Baccarat wherein the player's and the bank's hands operate under the same criteria as to whether a third card is or is not dealt to each respective hand. In yet another variant, the '064 patent uses a mechanical randomizing device to establish a “push” or “bar” situation for what otherwise would be a winning hand. Finally, the '064 patent permits side wagers to be added to the game. A player may make an additional wager on his hand with respect to a tie or for a natural situation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,395,120; 5,328,189; and 5,265,882 allow a player to play a casino game simultaneously against a dealer and other players. Under the teachings of these inventions, a player can simultaneously play draw poker against the dealer and either twenty-one or Baccarat against other players.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,259 sets forth a pari-mutuel electronic and live table game wherein players compete against each other to win a common pool. They do not wager against the house. In this environment, the house retains a pre-established commission.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,678 has a method of playing a modified form of Baccarat played on a gaming table. The acting banker and an action player are selected from a plurality of players. The acting banker establishes a bank and each of the remaining players places a wager. The dealer deals to each player including the acting banker two cards face up. Play then commences between the action player and the acting banker and moves around the table to the next player in a predetermined order. The acting banker plays each player individually according to the standard rules of Baccarat until completion. If the acting banker wins, the player's wager is added to the bank. The acting banker is not permitted to set off the amount won. At the end of play between an individual player and the acting banker, all of the player's cards are discarded and all of the acting banker's cards are discarded except the initial face up card dealt. The acting banker in all games always retains this initial face up card with the remaining individual players. Play continues until the acting banker's bank is exhausted or until each player at the gaming table has played his dealt hand against the hand of the acting banker.
The Player and Banker wagers are often made as they have a house advantage of roughly 1.2%. This figure, coupled with the complete absence of any strategic considerations, is generally low compared to other table games (e.g., Roulette at 5.3% regardless of strategy) and has led to the notion that Baccarat is a “smart player's game.” Against this backdrop, the Tie wager is seldom made because of the steep house edge of roughly 14.4%, about 12× that of either of the other two wagers.
An objective herein is to modify the Tie wager in Baccarat to make it more appealing to the playing public, preferably by using the new game with “safe” technology in a seamless, yet functional, manner. “Safe” technology, as provided by Mikohn Gaming Corporation of Las Vegas, Nev. includes a system with special betting chips that can be automatically scanned for identification and denomination by electronics located under a table layout. Furthermore, an optical card reader can be situation in a card supply shoe to provide exact information on the cards as they are dealt. Thus, exact time-stamped information about wagering and play is potentially known.
Another objective is to provide a large progressive pay out on the Tie wager, thus increasing player excitement and participation.
Another objective of this invention is to utilize community events, in general, in a manner consistent with that described for the Tie wager in Baccarat.
Another objective is to set up an algorithm so a third party can participate in revenue sharing and/or collect a percentage of total handle, based on this invention.
It is an advantage of this invention that players need not select the winning combinations, rather that winning combinations are either predetermined or randomly selected prior to the occurrence of random events. It is an advantage of this invention that community events are utilized, such that all players are simultaneously hoping for a common result. It is a further advantage of this invention that the means by which payoffs are made for such a community event occurring encourage additional wagering on the part of the players. Specifically, a portion of the invention may have a fixed house advantage, and a portion may have a variable house advantage.